Author: davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer

Final graduations from Telford College tonight

The last students to graduate from three of Edinburgh’s biggest colleges will do so in a series of ceremonies this week, marking the end of an era and heralding the arrival of a new Edinburgh College. More than 900 students from Edinburgh’s Telford College, Jewel & Esk College and Stevenson College will attend separate ceremonies at Usher Hall to celebrate their academic achievements.

The graduations come ahead of the merger of the three colleges which takes place next month, when the new Edinburgh College will become the largest student body in Edinburgh, accommodating more than 35,000 students.

Brian Lister, Interim Principal of Edinburgh College, said: “Graduation is always a special time, as it gives us a chance to celebrate the various achievements of all our students, but this year they have greater significance, as these students will be the last ever to graduate from each college. As this chapter ends for the students of the three colleges, the ceremonies are also a chance for us to look back on the successes of each college as a whole and what they have done individually for the further education sector in Edinburgh.

“The creation of the new Edinburgh College will allow us to build upon the foundations of excellence already set by Edinburgh’s Telford, Jewel & Esk and Stevenson College Edinburgh and create an unrivalled further education experience for students in Edinburgh and the Lothians. The College itself will become a ‘centre of excellence’, building on the existing strengths of the three colleges to foster growth, opportunity and economic development. All of the 2011/12 graduands have worked exceptionally hard to pass their courses and the ceremonies are a mark of their excellence – I wish each and every one of them the best of the luck in their chosen career or education path.”

The new Edinburgh College will be the biggest student body in Edinburgh/Scotland, employing around 1,300 staff to deliver the very best education and training to students. Four campuses spread across Edinburgh and the Lothians will make up the new College: Granton (formerly Edinburgh’s TelfordCollege), Sighthill (formerly Stevenson College) and Milton Road and Midlothian (both formerly Jewel and Esk College).

Stevenson College Edinburgh’s ceremony took place on Monday (24 September) and will be followed by Edinburgh’s Telford College tonight (27 September) at 7pm with Jewel & Esk’s ceremony taking place on Friday at 4pm.

Family Nurse Partnership celebrates first graduations

Sing-songs and children’s games were the order of the day at the first graduation ceremony of the Family Nurse Partnership programme yesterday( Wednesday 26 September). Forty families and Family Nurse Partnership staff were joined  by Alex Neil, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing at a special  ceremony to mark the first graduates through the programme.

The children and their families, the first in Scotland to participate in the Family Nurse Partnership initiative, were presented with gold medals and graduation  certificates.

The innovative service, which launched as a pilot in Lothian in 2010, has seen more than 148 families and has since been rolled out across  Scotland.

Alex Neil, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, said: “I’m  absolutely delighted to be involved in this celebration.  Investing in  young parents and children is high on the Scottish Government’s agenda  and we want to give every child in Scotland the best possible start.  I  can see for myself what a difference this programme can make to young  lives and I will continue to champion worthy investments, such as the  Family Nurse Partnership, that really do make a difference.”

The Family Nurse Partnership programme offers an early intervention  service starting in early pregnancy and designed to support first-time  teenage mothers over the first two years after birth.

Val Alexander, Family Nurse Partnership Supervisor, NHS Lothian,  said:  “We have seen so many positive stories over the first two years  of the Family Nurse Partnership and it’s great to see so many families  graduating through the service today.

“The programme relies on the development of a strong therapeutic  relationship between our nurse and the client. Visits are structured,  and cover personal health, environmental health, life course  development, maternal role, family and friends and health and human  resource services.”

Melanie Hornett, Director of Nursing, NHS Lothian, said:  “I am  delighted to see the first clients graduating through the programme. The service is all about helping to build on the strengths of young mums  and dads encouraging them to focus on their own wellbeing and that of  their child. Providing help early on gives them the best possible start in terms  of improved healthcare and child development and I would like to  congratulate the whole Family Nurse Partnership team on this first  graduation.”

Former Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon introduced Family Nurse Partnerships to Scotland in 2010 following a visit to Harlem, where NHS  Lothian was chosen as the first test site for the programme.

The Family Nurse Partnership is targeted at first time mothers aged 19 and under having their first baby, and offers guidance on breastfeeding, child  development, parenting skills, future pregnancy planning, preventive  health measures such as help with alcohol or cigarette dependency,  better diet information, advice on better financial planning and advice  for mothers wanting to go back to education or employment.

North Edinburgh at Volunteer Recruitment Fair 2012

Tomorrow (26 September) Volunteer Centre Edinburgh launches it’s 14th Volunteer Recruitment Fair at St Paul’s and St George’s Church on York Place. The fair runs from 11am to 7pm (writes KATE SMITH).

There will be a stall for Volunteer Centre’s North Edinburgh Hub and for volunteer-involving organisations in North Edinburgh. Pilton Equalities Project will be there from 1 to 3pm and Granton Youth Centre from 3 to 5pm.

In North Edinburgh a huge range of organisations are working with volunteers. There are fantastic opportunities for volunteering with children and young people, the elderly, the arts, music and dance. Not to mention sports including football and cycling. Cyclone Mountain Bike Track is currently under construction right now at Gypsy Brae (volunteers needed), Pilton Youth and Children’s Project are launching The Wooden Spoon Studio, a multi-purpose arts space, (think dance, performance, gallery) at their AGM on Friday at 3pm. You can even study an SVQ in Volunteering in the beautiful facilities at Craigroyston High. It’s all happening down here!

Come and meet us at the Fair or, if you want to find out more about volunteering in North Edinburgh, please contact me Kate Smith at kate.smith@volunteeredinburgh.org.uk

Port of Leith to support Macmillan coffee mornings

 

Two Leith sheltered housing complexes are taking part in Macmillan Cancer Support’s ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ initiative this week.  The Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) developments at St Nicholas Court on Ferry Road and Hermitage Court on Academy Park will host events for their residents as well as anyone who wants to drop by.

Hermitage Court will hold a light lunch with sandwiches and cakes and raffle tomorrow (Wednesday September 26) from 12pm to 2pm, and  St Nicholas Court is hosting a ‘soup and sweet party’ on Friday (Sept 28) from 12pm to 2pm with a raffle and home baking.

Maureen Tait, Senior Sheltered Housing Coordinator for PoLHA who manages St Nicholas Court, said:  “As Autumn has well and truly hit us, we hope this is a good opportunity for people to pop along to our developments and get a warming cup of tea or soup and to enjoy a chat while raising some money for this important cause.”

Hermitage Court will be taking donations and St Nicholas Court will charge £3 for people to join in the fun. Last year, the developments raised £500 for Macmillan and are hopeful for another successful fundraising drive.

All together now … sing out at Craigroyston

Singing Together Classes For Adults

at Craigroyston Community High School

on Thursdays from 1.45 – 3.20 pm

These sessions are for anyone who wants to sing.  You might be someone who sings in the shower or someone who hasn’t sung since your school days or you could be the life and soul of every karaoke evening. 

This  class will be relaxed and fun – there is no need to be able to read music and no experience is necessary. There will be vocal warm ups and some breathing exercises which help you find your voice – and then there will be singing!

Call us on 538 -7285 or email admin@craigroyston.edin.sch.uk to book a place.

Starts this Thursday 27September

Community Council will challenge Marine Drive development

Muirhouse Salvesen Community Council will object to plans to develop the former Civil Service Playing Fields at Marine Drive. The playing fields, now managed by Edinburgh’s Telford College, have been earmarked for a World of Football sport and leisure complex but the local community council will not be supporting the initiative.

A local resident has written to the community council expressing concerns over the development. He says: ‘Some years ago there were plans to build the new Craigroyston High School on the Green Belt; the community successfully resisted and rejected the proposal. This new proposal, which is no doubt controversial but no more so than building a school, has as far as is known been agreed in a deal between World of Football and Telford College. The chipping away of open spaces, particularly the Green Belt, has to be vigorously opposed. Communities have had the benefit of the Green Belt through the foresight of past generations; we in turn must leave it for future generations. Will the community council take up this urgent issue?’

Muirhouse Salvesen Community Council chairman Roy Douglas (pictured above) confirmed that the community council will indeed take up the issue. He said: “The first we heard about these plans was when the story appeared in the NEN. why should
the college or anyone else come along and use up greenspace without consulting the community? As a Community Council we will be objecting to any planning for this type of change.”

Share your information at Volunteer Fair

Is your organisation looking for volunteers? Would you like to spread the word about your organisation? Edinburgh’s Volunteer Recruitment Fair takes place tomorrow at St Paul’s and St George’s Church on York Place from 11am – 7pm, and Kate Smith of Volunteer Centre Edinburgh North Edinburgh would love to display your leaflets and promotional material on the North Edinburgh Stall.

If you do want your name to get noticed, you’d better get your skates on – Kate needs your leaflets at the Volunteer Centre Edinburgh North office in Community Renewal (Pennywell Shopping Centre) before 3pm today!

If you are interested or have any questions email kate.smith@volunteeredinburgh.org.uk

 

Following up employability in Forth

The lack of employment opportunities remains a problem in North Edinburgh, where unemployment figures remain stubbornly high. A conference held in North Edinburgh Arts Centre last week looked at what is being done to improve the life chances of people struggling to gain employment in Forth.

The city council recently introduced a new Integrated Employability Service (IES). The IES is set out in the Council’s new employability commissioning strategy and refocuses council investment on four priority areas: young people, early intervention to prevent future long-term unemployment, support for regeneration areas and action to reduce low pay.

There’s a lot of jargon and strange language used – hubs, strategic skills pipelines, sustained outcomes and gateways – but put simply IES will establish a clear local service framework to better align services and make it easier for those seeking information about work to get the appropriate support and advice. The IES will evolve over the next three years.

City council Employability Service official Brian Martin (pictured above)told around thirty delegates: “What we had before was a lot of money scattered around hither and thither, with no one department having overall responsibility for employability money. That’s changed, and we’re starting to work better together; aligning better with the national agencies and improving our communications. There’s a recognition that we need to be much more pro-active but we are also realistic – we can work with agencies to supply training opportunities but if there are no jobs it becomes meaningless for participants. What we need is early warnings from potential employers – what they are planning and what skills their workforce will need. The sooner we have this information, the more likely it is we ca have people ‘job ready’ when these opportunities arise”.

The forthcoming 21st Century Homes redevelopment in Pennywell and a possible hotel and leisure complex at Crewe Toll have been identified as two potential employment opportunities for local people, and others have been earmarked. 

Along with WEACT, Forth Sector and Volunteer Centre Edinburgh, local employment agency Community Renewal was part of the Stevenson Consortium which successfully bid for the citywide Employment Services Contract. The new service started on 1 May and is delivered from ‘hubs’ in Sighthill, the Community Renewal office in Muirhouse and Haywired in Craigmillar with an additional outreach service in Gilmerton.

Community Renewal’s Nigel Green (pictured above) explained how the new consortium works and went on to outline the various ways the partnership supports local people in their search for work – through referrals to the hubs and also through outreach work at a wide range of locations.

“It is early days for the consortium but we are pleased with how things have progressed so far”, he said. “Community Renewal is already quite well-known in North Edinburgh but we are now covering a much wider area with a much bigger client base. That presents new challenges, but the important thing for all of us is to make sure that the support for the client is there when they need it.”

Closing the meeting, Forth Neighbourhood Partnership convener Councillor Cammy Day said: “It’s clear that there is a lot of work going on to improve the employability chances of local people, and the challenge for us is just how to get that word out into the wider community. People need to know what support is available and we may try to do this through a wider, community conference type event.”